Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
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This creamy chicken and gnocchi is packed with soft-pillowy gnocchi, a garlicky cream sauce, tender, juicy chicken, and sneaked-in greens!
Featured Comment
Absolutely delicious! I love that this recipe is quick to whip up, and can easily be changed also. We didn’t have kale, so I added a can of cannelini beans. Next time I’ll add some anchovies, some greenery, and use better wine. Whole family loved it!
Why you’ll love this Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
- Restaurant-quality comfort food. If you need one of those nights in with a tall glass of white wine (that you can also use in this recipe) and the best kind of comfort food you can eat in the most comfortable sweatpants, this is for you. It’s hearty, it’s cozy, and it’s super easy to whip up.
- Incredibly flexible recipe. You can use store-bought potato gnocchi or you can go that extra mile and use homemade gnocchi instead. You can also sub breasts for thighs, or spinach for kale. The recipe is so giving with what you have on hand!
- The cream sauce is pure gold. The cream sauce is velvety, garlicky and completely irresistible, and the gnocchi soaks up every single drop of flavor.
How to make creamy chicken and gnocchi
- Prep the gnocchi. Cook the gnocchi first in a large pot of boiling water, removing the gnocchi with a slotted spoon as soon as they rise to the top. Pro tip: avoid overcooking the gnocchi or they will get mushy.
- Sear the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat, searing the chicken in batches until a crust is formed and releases easily from the pan. Set aside and keep warm.
- Sauté the aromatics. Melt the remaining butter and sauté the shallot until tender before stirring in the garlic and thyme until fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour. Stir in the flour until lightly browned to remove the raw flour taste and to build a deep, nutty flavor for the sauce.
- Deglaze the pan. Stir in the wine, lifting up the caramelized browned bits (fond) stuck to the bottom.
- Build the cream sauce. Stir in the chicken broth, then half and half until thickened, seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Combine. Stir in the cooked gnocchi and kale (or desired leafy greens) until wilted.
- Finish. Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and sprinkle with Parmesan. Place into the oven and bake until the chicken is completely cooked through (internal temperature of the chicken should read 165°F).
- Serve. Serve warm with crusty bread for sopping.
variations and substitutions
- Gnocchi: fresh, dried, or frozen gnocchi will work here
- Chicken: use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- White wine: substitute additional chicken broth
- Half and half: whole milk will yield a lighter cream sauce whereas heavy cream will be a richer consistency
- Greens: kale, spinach, cabbage, swiss chard, and collard greens are all excellent options
- For serving: serve with crusty bread or dinner rolls
what to serve with chicken and gnocchi
Tools For This Recipe
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Do I have to use white wine?
Additional chicken broth can be used for white wine as a non-alcoholic substitute.
What is half and half?
Half and half is equal parts of whole milk and cream. For 1 cup half and half, you can substitute 3/4 cup whole milk + 1/4 cup heavy cream or 2/3 cup skim or low-fat milk + 1/3 cup heavy cream.
What can I substitute for the kale?
Spinach, cabbage, swiss chard and collard greens are all excellent swaps.
How can I store leftovers?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Is this freezer-friendly?
Unfortunately cream-based sauces do not freeze well as they become grainy upon thawing.
Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
This creamy chicken and gnocchi is packed with soft-pillowy gnocchi, a garlicky cream sauce, tender, juicy chicken, and sneaked-in greens!
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (16-ounce)package cauliflower potato gnocchi
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup half and half
- 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan, about 2 ounces
Instructions
- In a large pot or Dutch oven of boiling salted water, cook gnocchi according to package instructions; drain well.
- Season chicken with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and sear both sides until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side; set aside.
- Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Add shallot, and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
- Stir in chicken broth, and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in half and half until thickened, about 1-2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in gnocchi and kale until the kale has wilted, about 1-2 minutes.
- Return chicken to the skillet; sprinkle with Parmesan.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place into oven and bake until bubbly and the chicken is cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 10-12 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Equipment
Notes
- Cook the chicken in batches. Sear the chicken in batches to prevent an overcrowded pan which will cause the chicken to steam instead of yielding a crisp, golden-brown crust.
- Make it lighter. Cauliflower potato gnocchi is a great option as it is slightly lighter and less dense than traditional gnocchi.
- Homemade gnocchi goes a long way. In a pinch, we love using cauliflower potato gnocchi but we also highly recommend using homemade gnocchi if you have the time. It makes all of the difference!
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Deglaze the pan. This will allow you to lift up the caramelized food bits (fond) while adding a deep flavor base to the cream sauce.
- Add in leafy greens. This is a great recipe to sneak in all the greens (kale, spinach, cabbage, swiss chard or collard greens) for those picky eaters.
- Serve with crusty bread. Serve with all the homemade crusty bread for dipping, sopping and dunking!
Did you make this recipe?
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This recipe was a real winner! . I followed the recipe exactly except for the half and half. I used the fat free variety. My family thought it was restaurant-quality. Next time I make it, I plan to skip the kale and use fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes. I also think my family will enjoy mushrooms in this dish.
Could someone tell me what the half and half is please? Is it cream?
Thanks
Half milk and half cream. Best of luck!
It’s a simple and easy recipe. It has such good flavor. It also has room for you to add a little something like mushrooms or pepper flakes. I also like that it’s all cooked in the same skillet so not a lot of clean up. I will definitely be trying this recipe again.
Delicious loved it will do it again
Used regular potato gnocchi and Added 8oz baby Bella mushrooms and it was awesome!
Very tasty and easy to make! Surprised there was so much flavor
I made this for my husband and he enjoyed it …it was really delicious.
This IS damn delicious. Added mushrooms. No TJ’s here so used regular gnocchi which worked great. Must try! You won’t regret it. Thanks for another great recipe!
This is an amazing recipe. I’ve been sharing it with my friends! Love! Used cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joes and a bit more kale.
It is Damn Delicious! ❤
This was absolutely delicious Fresh kale and thyme from the garden and the cream sauce was perfect. Everyone loved it!
This was darn delicious. Used regular supermarket gnocchi, otherwise followed the recipe. I like the fact that it’s one pan with protein, starch and veg all in there. Next time I might cut some mushrooms in half and toss them in, and add some hot chili flakes for a little oomph. All in all, a keeper.
The texture is amazing. And flavors… sooo good! I have to make this asap. Thanks for this lovely recipe!
Amazingly good! Substituted a couple of handfuls of baby spinach for the kale, otherwise followed the recipe- Delicious! Thank you!
Nice recipe the whole family liked! No kale on hand, used a bag of spinach. . . a bag was too much. Would use had or two thirds next time. Also added a squeeze of lemon to add some acidity. My daughter commented that if some day we didn’t have the gnocchi it would be great over spaghetti squash.
So so delicious! Did use chicken breasts and spinach. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for this tip! I was wondering if I could use chicken breasts!
Is the gnocchi fresh or frozen or shelf-stable (wondering where to look for it at my WF store)? Is it Whole Foods brand or another brand? Thanks!
Delicious! I added white beans to add extra protein, and both my husband and I loved it!
Made this meal tonight. I served it with riced cauliflower and cantaloupe. We all loved it including my picky 6 and 3 yo girls. I made it exactly and it turned out great. Took me about 45 minutes.
I’m making this recipe now. It’s in the oven. How do you recommend storing leftovers? Can it be frozen?
Made it and loved it! Kale I bought frozen and added Spinach not bitter very tasty. Seriously you have the best recipe’s very easy to follow and so many different flavours. So happy I have found you! You are amazing! Thank you for such awesome ideas.
This dish is so good. I’m not typically a fan of kale, but it was awesome. Thanks for the recipe.
Soooo good! I added mushrooms and sun-dried tomatoes and it was amazing.
Made this tonight – another winner. The sauce is a great base to serve with any number of proteins or veg. Next time I’ll cook chicken ahead of time and do dried thyme (I’m so bad at pulling leaves off and had too many stems). Will also use frozen kale or do green veg on the side (maybe Brussels sprouts). The possibilities are endless!!